26 November 2004

Visits to the warmer side

I've been following Tanisha Taitt for six years or so, listening to her demos, sending back what feedback I could, and although she's written literally hundreds of songs, only a few have made it out of her Toronto home: a 1999 cassette titled Praylude, and now, at long last, an actual CD.

Overflow is the title, and although Taitt does her composition on the piano, you won't hear her on the keys here; she leaves the instrumental duties here to co-producer Jordan O'Connor, which is forgivable since she's singing all the background vocals in addition to the lead. The final set differs from what was originally planned  "Through the Sun and Rain," which I plugged here, was dropped, along with a couple of others  but it's a strong lineup just the same. Think Joni Mitchell halfway between Blue and Mingus, then overlay with a streetwise Laura Nyro-esque feel for the language, and you have some idea of what Tanisha is about: strongly confessional, yet always giving the impression that there are secrets still to be revealed.

Once I saw Tanisha Taitt listed on one of those artist directories as a writer of songs that "delicate[ly] blend ethereal and soulful, frustrated and thankful." Sounds about right.